The Turtle Island String Quartet fuses the classical quartet esthetic with contemporary American musical styles-folk, bluegrass, swing, funk, rock, hip-hop, as well as music of Latin America and India-in what is truly a revival of improvisational and compositional chamber traditions.

This year, performing with the Ying Quartet, the Turtle Island won a Grammy for Best Classical Crossover Album for their recording titled 4 + Four. 

On the following night, the Turtle Island will appear with the Ying Quartet-longtime San Miguel favorites-in a joint concert of numbers from their acclaimed album. 

"This year we decided to broaden our music and type of group," says Festival president Ed Clancy. "There are some exciting groups out there that don't exactly fit the traditional string quartet mold, and we figured it was time to start bringing them to our audience. Turtle Island is one of the most exciting groups around-and one of the most popular-so we're delighted that we were able to get them. San Miguel is in for a treat." 

The 2006 Festival will begin Saturday, July 29, and conclude two weeks later with a gala concert on Saturday, August 12, by the world-renowned St. Petersburg String Quartet, which delighted San Miguel audiences last year. This year will feature 13 concerts, two of them free and open to all of San Miguel.

Also appearing is the Vega String Quartet, which made its Festival debut last year. The Vega, true to its name, is one of the brightest stars among the new generation of chamber music ensembles. The New York Times described a recent Vega performance as "playing that had a kind of clean intoxication to it … the musicians took real risks in their music making."

New to the Festival is Russian pianist Olga Kern, winner of the Eleventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2001-the first woman to have achieved this distinction in more than 30 years.

"Kern's musicality," said the Washington Post critic, "radiates off the stage and saturates the hall, and it is joyously alive, immediately communicative, fragrantly sensual, and almost visual it its intensity. Whatever it is-call it star quality-music likes Kern the way the camera liked Garbo." 

Also performing a solo concert will be violinist Tim Fain, first violinist of the Rossetti Quartet, who entranced audiences last year with his electrifying performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

Fain will also join the Vega and the St. Petersburg for a joint concert.

The arrival of the Turtle Island isn't the only unorthodox programming in this year's schedule, according to Program Director George Bell. "The quartets have all agreed to play together at least once, so we'll be hearing some octets that practically never get performed. The Ying and the Vega will be doing the Mendelssohn Octet, a wonderful work, and the Vega and the St. Petersburg will perform an octet by Spohr that's one of the most amazing pieces I've ever heard." 

Even though this season's schedule consists of 11 concerts, as compared to 10 last year, the Festival is holding to last year's season ticket price: 2,640 pesos for orchestra and 3,500 for box seats. "Furthermore," says Clancy, "we've cut balcony prices by more than half: from 1,000 to 450 pesos for the season ticket, and from 130 to 50 pesos-less than five dollars!-for the single. We want everyone to be able to hear for themselves why our festival has a worldwide reputation and how wonderful chamber music can be."

All paid performances are at the newly renovated Teatro Ángela Peralta. Free concerts by festival workshop participants will be presented at Bellas Artes, the Biblioteca Pública and other venues around town. One or more free concerts by the visiting ensembles will be offered in the Jardín or at Bellas Artes. 

The schedule is still tentative; details are being finalized. Tickets will be available shortly at the Festival offices in Bellas Artes or online at the Festival website: www.chambermusicfestival.com Stay tuned.



Festival de Música de Cámara de San Miguel de Allende season schedule:

July 29 Turtle Island String Quartet

July 30 Turtle Island String Quartet & Ying Quartet

July 31 Ying Quartet

Aug 1 Ying Quartet & Vega String Quartet

Aug 2 Free concert, to be announced

Aug 4 Olga Kern, piano 

Aug 5 Vega String Quartet

Aug 6 Olga Kern, piano, and Vega String Quartet

Aug 7 Free concert, to be announced

Aug 8 Vega String Quartet & St. Petersburg String Quartet 

Aug 9 St. Petersburg String Quartet & Vega String Quartet & Tim Fain, violin

Aug 11 Tim Fain, violin

Aug 12 St. Petersburg String Quartet

Concert of music of Ray Charles

Local band Voodoo Chile will be performing Ray Charles classics such as "Hallelujah," "I Love Her So," ""Georgia," "You Don't Know Me," "What I'd Say" and many more in tribute to the legendary performer.

Ray Charles Robinson was born in Albany, Georgia, on September 23, 1930. Poverty and early childhood blindness set the stage for the star to begin his rise, going on to become a member of the Rock and Roll, Rhythm and Blues and Jazz Halls of Fame. Overcoming the prejudice of the Deep South, Ray developed his musical skills while learning Braille, typing and even basket weaving at Florida's state school for the deaf and blind. From pick-up gigs in Florida to befriending future musical giant Quincy Jones in Seattle, Washington, and to playing Carnegie Hall, it was an uphill struggle for the shining genius, but he did shine all the way from the bottom to the top. His legacy is like no other, combining the elements of jazz, country western, rhythm and blues, gospel, rock and roll, big band music and the blues. Longtime fans of Ray Charles's music, Voodoo Chile will interpret his classic renditions with their own style.

Composed of vocalist Armando Garza, guitarist Julián Arcos and his brother, Javier, on bass and Carlos de Aquinaga on drums, Voodoo Chile has been playing blues, soul, funk, rock and reggae for two years (now every Thursday at 10pm at Mama Mia's) in San Miguel to the delight and enthusiasm of folks young and old. Now performing everything from Hendrix to the Hoochie Coochie Man himself, Muddy Waters, from the Beatles to the Stones, from Stevie Wonder to Stevie Ray, and from James Brown to Brown Sugar, Voodoo Chile is even cutting its teeth on disco and 80s rock of late to keep its black pot of musical gumbo boiling and bubbling and its soulful roux rich and rumbling. Add special ingredient Daniel Cortidor on piano and keyboards for this event and the "chile" will only get hotter.

A Ray of sunshine, by Voodoo Chile
Thursday, April 27, 8pm, Teatro Santa Ana, Reloj 50, 100 pesos